Seeking the Right Balance:
NATO and EU in Dutch Foreign
and Defense Policy
Rob de Wijk
Director of the The Hague Center for Strategic Studies, Professor of International Relations (Royal Military Academy) and
Strategic Studies (Leiden University)
Abstract
Resumo
À Procura do Equilíbrio Certo: A Política
Externa e de Defesa da Holanda no Contexto
NATO e Europeu
Dutch foreign policy was once characterized as
based on “peace, profits and principles”.
As a matter of fact, Dutch foreign policy has
similar characteristics of other highly developed,
rich, medium powers. As a foreign policy
instrument, the offensive use of its armed forces is
not the first choice; instead emphasis is given to
strengthening the international rule of law and
multinational organizations to create stable and
peaceful international relations. What really
distinguishes the Netherlands is its focus on
transatlantic relations to keep its independence
from the major continental powers. Due to the geo
strategic changes of the 1990s, this focus has lost
its relevance. As Europe is no longer the first
strategic priority in security of the Americans and
defense matters the Netherlands tries to find a
new balance between traditional transatlanticism,
which is embodied in NATO and the emerging
European Security and Defense policy (EDSP).
No passado, a política externa holandesa foi
caracterizada pela expressão “paz, ganhos e
princípios”. Na verdade, a política externa
holandesa tem características semelhantes à
de outras potências médias com desenvolvimento elevado. Enquanto instrumento de política externa, o uso ofensivo das suas forças
armadas não é a primeira escolha; muito pelo
contrário, o seu cerne está no reforço do primado do Direito Internacional e nas instituições, com o objectivo de criar relações internacionais estáveis e pacíficas. O que realmente
distingue a Holanda é a sua ênfase nas relações transatlânticas como forma de manter a
sua independência relativamente aos restantes poderes continentais. Devido às mudanças
geoestratégicas dos anos 90, esta ênfase tem
vindo a perder relevância. Dado que a Europa
deixou de ser a prioridade estratégica dos
EUA em matéria de segurança e defesa, a Holanda tenta encontrar um novo equilíbrio entre
o tradicional transatlantismo, através da NATO,
e a emergente Política Europeia de Segurança
e Defesa (PESD) da União Europeia.
Outono-Inverno 2007
N.º 118 - 3.ª Série
pp. 147-164
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Seeking the Right Balance: NATO and EU in Dutch Foreign and Defense Policy
The Netherlands is one of the founding fathers of NATO, the European Union
and other international organizations. Ever since the end of the Second World War
constructive multilateralism has been a dominant feature in foreign and defense policy.
The public ‘no’ against the European Constitutional Treaty in 2004, however, was the
expression of a deep political crisis that started with the murder of the populist
politician Pim Fortuyn by a left wing environmental extremist in 2004 and deepened with
the first salafist murder in 2006 of film maker Theo van Gogh. Ever since the murder of
Fortuyn the Dutch political elite has been struggling with the Netherlands’ place in
Europe and the world. First, due to successive internal crises the country has become
increasingly inward looking. Although it probably goes too far to speak of a foreign
policy crisis, because, for example, Dutch troops are still important contributors
to stabilization missions around the globe. Second, Dutch political leaders are still
struggling with the end of the Cold War which undermined a number of the traditional
approaches of Dutch foreign policy. Due to the geo strategic changes of the 1990s,
its focus on transatlantic relations has lost some of its relevance. As Europe is no
longer the first strategic priority in security of the Americans and defense matters the
Netherlands tries to find a new balance between traditional transatlanticism, which
is embodied in NATO and the emerging European Security and Defense policy (EDSP).
This contribution explores the nature of changes in the Netherlands’ foreign and security
policy by putting them in a historical context.
The background of Dutch foreign policy
Dutch foreign policy was once characterized as based on “peace, profits and
principles”.1 Some characteristics of Dutch foreign policy are deeply rooted in history.
By 1650 the Netherlands had become the most formidable power in the World. It
accumulated incredible wealth through foreign trade and possessed the most powerful
navy to protect its commercial interests. In those days the fleet numbered over 70 war
ships with more than 20,000 sailors. Despite its power projection capabilities and wealth,
during the Golden Age the Dutch did not participate in the international power struggle
as such. Unlike the rulers of neighboring states the ruling commercial patricians or
1 J.J.C. Voorhoeve, Peace, Profits and Principles: a Study on Dutch Foreign Policy (The Hague: Martinus Nijhof,
1979).
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Rob de Wijk
‘regents’ were not interested in territorial expansion or, for that matter, even integrity.
Their objective was to accumulate wealth. Moreover, their commercial interests prompted
them to stay away from other nation’s political quarrels.
In addition, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the country was a
heterogeneous group of cities and provinces, without strong leadership. Consequently,
the Dutch were neither willing nor able to get involved in the struggle for power.
Moreover, due to its fragmented political system, it had no other choice but to seek
consensus among regents, cities and provinces. Hence, Dutch aversion to power politics
and its preoccupation with consensus seeking are centuries old.
Scholars disagree about the existence of constant factors in Dutch foreign policy.2
Nevertheless, most policy choices find their roots in recurring approaches or traditions.
The first is a strong legal approach. This goes back to Hugo Grotius, who in the 17th
century was one of the founders of international law. Dutch interest in international
law has remained constant over the last centuries. As a trade nation the Netherlands
always attached great value to a strong international legal order to ensure stability.
Except for the brief period of the Golden Age of the 17th century the Netherlands has
never enjoyed the military power to defend its interests. This legal tradition explains
why successive governments promote The Hague as the world capital of international
law. Numerous international organizations have headquarters in The Hague, including
the UN Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Yugoslavia
Tribunal (ICTY), the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal
Court.
Until the beginning of the Second World War it was thought that the national interest
was best served by a policy of strict neutrality. Thus it was hoped that the country could
stay out of major power competition and could avoid getting involved in wars. This
served the Dutch well, because they managed to stay out of the devastating First World
War. Liberated by the Americans and Canadians and faced with an overwhelming
threat, it was concluded that after the Second World War there was no other choice but
to give up on neutrality and embark on multilateral course instead. Since the end of the
war the Netherlands has become a strong a proponent of international organizations; the
second recurring approach. The Netherlands was among the founding members of the
forerunners of the present day European Union, NATO, the UN, the OSCE, the World
Bank, etc. This advantage of institutions is, when functioning properly, that they will
2 Y. Kleistra, Hollen of stilstaan: Beleidsveranderingen bij het Nederlandse Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
(Delft: Eburon, 2002), pp. 42-61.
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Seeking the Right Balance: NATO and EU in Dutch Foreign and Defense Policy
bring order in international relations by constraining the major powers. Moreover, the
institutional and legal approaches of Dutch foreign policy are seen as complementary.
The third approach in Dutch foreign policy is a certain degree of anti militarism or
pacifism. The Dutch are no pacifists by nature. They fought many colonial wars, most
notably in Indonesia. Due to its position as a medium power and the size of its armed
forces, the Netherlands concluded that international law and multinational organizations
are better instruments to create an orderly world. This was reinforced by Humanist and
Christian traditions. Part of this tradition is a degree of moralism, which appeared to be
a substitute for great power politics. As a result, the defense budget has always been
under constant pressure. From time to time the discussion flares up whether the Netherlands
should have an army of peacekeepers or a force of genuine war fighters. Usually those
parties to the left favor the former option, whilst right wing parties favor the latter.
The fourth recurring approach is the maritime or anti-continental focus. By tradition
the Netherlands is a seagoing nation. Already during the Golden Age the security of trade
routes and markets depended on mare librum. During the colonial age, this was vital to
keep overseas territories under control. There is however, a strong connection between its
maritime and anti-continental tradition. The Dutch have always tried to remain independent
from those major continental powers, France and Germany. Consequently, a Pax Britannica,
and subsequently a Pax Americana were considered important instruments to remain
independent from the big continental powers. NATO itself became, in fact, the embodiment
of both.
Finding a way to constrain the major powers through multilateral arrangements and
international law has been an important theme for the last half a century. By emphasizing
the international rule of law and the role of institutions Dutch politicians appear to reject
power politics in international relations. But in reality, the Dutch are quite good at it. By
playing the transatlantic card, they not only remained independent from the major
continental European powers, but exercised disproportional influence in international
affairs, e.g. through international organizations like NATO. This was supported by its
economic weight: at present the world’s 11th economic power and 6th export nation.
This explains the Netherlands as a status quo power as well. Maintaining status quo
means stability. Only in a stable environment Dutch economy could flourish and could
the Netherlands avoid becoming the puppet of the great powers. In sum, the status quo
could be maintained though orientation on great powers outside the continent, and
through depolarization of relations among other European states. Both the Pax Britannica
and the Pax Americana fit in this approach. Until today transatlantic relations and
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consequently NATO are seen as the cornerstone of Dutch foreign policy. The same holds
too for the attempts to depolarize relations among the major European players.
The end of the Cold War
The collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union undermined the status quo in
Europe. In the early 1990s it became obvious that for the U.S. Europe no longer was its
first strategic priority. Without the threat of major war in Europe, the U.S. could now
focus on other areas. At present, as a security priority Europe ranks behind the Far East,
Central Asia, the Gulf Region, the Middle East and Central Asia. This was reinforced by
the events of 9/11 and the ever growing prosperity of the European Union, which made
clear to the Americans that Europe should be able to take care of its own problems.
Needless to say that these geostrategic changes had a profound impact on Dutch
foreign policy. Transatlantic relations as an instrument to balance against the major
continental powers weakened. Moreover, after 11 September 2001 is was obvious that neo
conservatives of the Bush Administrations were not only willing to set aside international
law to protect their interests, but had an instrumental view of international organizations
as well. In their view, UN and NATO are useful if they serve American interests.
This ‘pick and choose’ attitude undermined the Netherlands’ preoccupation with
international law and multinational institutions. Thus, politicians had no other choice but
to rethink their attitude towards Europe. As a result of ongoing European integration,
economic and political ties had grown stronger over time. There was, however, reluctance
to support extensive European security and defense integration as it undermined
transatlantic relations.
Although maintaining independence from the great continental powers remained an
overriding objective, during the 1990s the Dutch began to give preference to ad hoc
coalitions depending on the issues at stake. While the transatlantic relationship was still
considered to be relevant, policy makers also intensified their political relations with
continental powers. This led in practice to confusion, which resulted in a major foreign
policy review in 1994 and 1995 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the leader of the left-wing liberals (D66), Hans van Mierlo. Introduced in September 1995 with Ministers
Voorhoeve, Pronk, Wijers and Zalm the Memorandum related to the revaluation of the
3 H. van Mierlo (Minister of Foreign Affairs) with ministers Voorhoeve (Defence), Pronk (Development Aid)
and Wijers (Economic Affairs): policy paper Herijking Buitenlands Beleid (The Hague: September 1995).
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Seeking the Right Balance: NATO and EU in Dutch Foreign and Defense Policy
(Dutch) Foreign Policy.3 The policy review concluded that because of the dramatic changes
after the end of the Cold War the world had become more complex and less predictable.
International relations would be ‘demilitarized’. The Netherlands position would be more
exposed. International competition would focus on economics and technology. This would
have a profound impact on Dutch foreign policy. Whereas the future role of the United
States in European military affairs was uncertain, Europe’s future role in world affairs
would depend on the way the EU member states could use their collective economic power
to enhance the effectiveness of their Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
The policy review, however, led nowhere because Dutch politicians were able to
avoid tough choices. In 1995 and 1996 the Dutch government came to the conclusion that
the fear of an entanglement of US and European security was unjustified. The US started
to play an increasingly important role in UNPROFOR, brokered the Dayton peace
agreement and took the lead in SFOR. Consequently, the new central-left government,
which was elected in 1998, shifted away from the more pro European course, and
returned to traditional transatlanticism. This change in policy was also caused by the lack
of a clear vision of the new ministers. Both Foreign Minister Jozias van Aartsen and
Defense Minister Frank de Grave had no experience in the field of foreign policy and
defense, but their party, the center-right liberal VVD was by tradition transatlantic. In
other words, this transatlanticism was merely a reflex. Thus a tension became visible
between NATO as the cornerstone of foreign and defence policy; and the need to refocus
on Europe and consequently actively supporting the development of a European security
and defense policy. Fear for a Europe dominated by major powers still dominated
thinking of the Dutch foreign policy elite.
Due to the ongoing European integration process, the increasing dominance of
Germany in the EU and the reduced importance of Europe in US foreign policy, the
Netherlands would have no other choice but to focus more on its European partners. Of
great importance were new initiatives taken by France and the United Kingdom. During
the 1998 St.Malo meeting President Chirac and Prime Minister Blair called for a European
capability for autonomous action.4 The importance of this meeting was that institutional
arrangements in the field of the CFSP concluded in the early and mid-1990s were now
backed up by concrete military initiatives. St.Malo was the start of a process leading to
an ongoing effort to create a European Reaction Force. The Dutch were of course
ambivalent. On the one hand they accepted that due to the geostrategic changes there
4 Franco-British Summit, Joint Declaration on European Defence, St. Malo, 4 December 1998.
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Rob de Wijk
was no other choice but to create such a capability; on the other hand the transatlantic
link was to be preserved and NATO to remain the cornerstone of its foreign policy.
Nevertheless, the St.Malo decisions and operation Allied Force contributed to a significant
shift in Dutch foreign policy with respect to a common European defense policy. The
government accepted the British-French initiatives and acknowledged the importance of
European defense co-operation as a part of the economic and political process of
integration that has been going on in Europe for decades and represents the European
will to create an autonomous military capacity to back the EU increased global economic
weight and the wish to have a greater say in the world. Less than a year after its
inauguration, the center-left Kok government even concluded that European defense
should be emphasized. From the Dutch perspective, this meant a dramatic policy change
since the new initiatives regarding the defense component of the EU could also be seen
as an attempt to restore the balance of power between Europe and the US after the end
of the Cold War.
The initiatives for the ESDP were not only the result of Europe’s ongoing process of
integration, but were prompted by the worry about America’s security commitment to
Europe as well. There was a risk that European security would decouple as a result of
probable American unilateralism and the consequences of the increased technological
gap. EU Commissioner Chris Patten expressed this concern about American unilateralism
explicitly in an internal paper for the European Commission. He asserted that the EU has
the obligation to contribute to the increase of stability, because the world is one in which
the United States increasingly acts without giving any thought to the concerns of others.5
In the Netherlands, however, the debate on the consequences of the geopolitical changes
and the emerging US strategy of selective engagement was almost absent. For the
Netherlands the new geopolitical realities required no less than a paradigm shift in
security policy, i.e. a new balance between Europe and America.
The crisis of 2002
Until 2002, the debate on European versus transatlantic relations lingered on. In that
year a crisis period started, one that would fundamentally affect its foreign and security
policy as well. There was however no paradigm shift. Instead, politicians were preoccupied
5 International Herald Tribune, ‘The EU Counterweight To American Influence’, 16 June 2000.
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with domestic challenges. In April 2002 the government collapsed as a result of an inquiry
into the events that led to the mass murder of citizens in Srebrenica in 1995, the Bosnian
city which was supposed to be under the protection of Dutch peacekeepers.6 The
coalition was called ‘purple’ because this color would be the result of the colors
associated with the three partners were combined. The fall of the government marked the
end of a remarkable period in Dutch politics, i.e. two successive ‘purple’ coalition
governments made up of right-wing liberals (VVD), left-wing liberals (D66) and the social
democrats (PvdA). Until the emergence of the first ‘purple’ government (1994-1998), a
coalition without the Christian Democrats had been virtually impossible. The purple
coalition was quite successful both in economic and social terms. During the early 1990s
the country became one of the most prosperous within Europe. However, the second
‘purple’ coalition (1998-2002), again under the leadership of social democrat Prime
Minister Wim Kok, faced considerable difficulties. Although the economic performance
of the Netherlands remained good, it appeared that the government was unable to solve
major problems regarding health care, education, traffic congestion and crime. The taboo
to discuss immigration was lifted as well. It turned out that new groups did not
assimilate. Some groups, most notable those from Morocco and the Antilles, were
responsible for a large part of crime nationwide.
More importantly, the much praised Dutch ‘polder model’, no longer functioned
satisfactorily. The model was based on consensus-seeking between the government, the
parliament, the labour unions, employers, and various special interest groups, most
notably environmental groups. During the late 1990s the system worked well as long as
not too difficult choices had to be made and enough money was available to buy off the
complaints of the unions and pressure groups. The new challenges, however, demanded
firm measures and true leadership. Wim Kok, the embodiment of the famed ‘polder
model’, lacked leadership and tried to solve the problems through uneasy compromises.
The government’s inability to solve these problems, the obvious failure of the ‘polder
model’ and the perception of an ever growing part of the population that the country was
run by an incompetent, small, inward-looking elite of politicians led to public unrest.
This situation provided fertile ground for the center-right populist politician Pim
Fortuyn. He spoke a different language, offered unorthodox solutions and wanted to get
rid of the traditional Dutch political elite, which is a closed inner circle of some of the
6 (Report on Srebrenica) Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie, Srebrenica: een ‘veilig’ gebied,
(Amsterdam: Boom, 2002). Parts 1, 2 and 3.
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most important politicians, representatives from industry, labor unions, universities
and some public figures and journalists. His party, the List Pim Fortuyn (LPF), made
a staggering rise in the polls. The chance that he would become the next Prime
Minister was high, but on 6 May 2002 he was murdered by a supporter of a left-wing
animal rights movement, Folkert van der Graaf, after leaving a radio studio in Hilversum.
Despite the murder of its leader, the LPF took part in the election. It gained a landslide
victory. It took 26 out of the 150 parliamentary seats, which however was not enough to
provide the Prime Minister. Despite the fact that the Christian Democrats became the
biggest party, losses in terms of parliamentary seats were big. Consequently, Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer had to resign. He was succeeded by the inexperienced Jan Peter Balkenende,
who became the new Prime Minister. He formed a government of CDA, VVD and LPF,
which confirmed NATO as the cornerstone of its foreign policy.7 The Cabinet was
short-lived. The LPF was not well organized. A number of people were competing to lead
the party and their ‘new politics’ lacked experience. Moreover, there were conflicting
personalities. Two LPF Ministers, the Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of
Health Care were involved in constant battles, which ultimately led to the collapse of the
Cabinet. The Cabinet could not handle a situation which coincided with unusual bad
performance of the Dutch economy and a mounting Iraq crisis. New elections brought to
power a second Balkenende Cabinet, with the LPF replaced by D66. The LPF fell back
from 26 seats to 6 parliamentary seats.
The new CDA – VVD – D66 Cabinet appeared to be quite stable and, in the eyes of
a large part of the population, went back to ‘normal’, i.e. consensus politics, run by the
old political elite. Again, the Cabinet confirmed NATO as the cornerstone of its foreign
policy.8 In an opinion piece in the Washington Times, foreign minister Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer explained why: “The world is a dangerous place, and we can only deal with these
dangers by working together, not against each other. To effectively counter the threats
facing us, coalitions of the willing may be sometimes necessary, but longer-lasting
structures are preferable. Ad hoc coalitions lack the transparency, stability and continuity
that only permanent international organizations can provide. This is where NATO fits in
as an essential component of international cooperation.”.9 A few sentences later he
7 (Coalition Agreement 2002) Werken aan vertrouwen: een kwestie van aanpakken, Strategisch Akkoord van
Kabinet CDA, LPF en VVD, 3 July 2002, p. 28.
8 (Coalition Agreement) Meedoen, meer werk, minder regels. Hoofdlijnenakkoord voor het kabinet CDA, VVD,
D66, p. 14.
9 J. de Hoop Scheffer, ‘A New TATO Needed’, The Washington Times, 2 June 2003.
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explains why: “American engagement (…) remains vital”, for example to anchor the
Balkans in Euro-Atlantic structures.
The ‘polder model’ was restored when government, parliament and labor unions
agreed on dramatic measures to improve the economy, including the October 2003
decision to freeze wages for the next two years in an attempt to improve the export
position of the country. Regarding foreign policy, however, a monumental change was
visible. Due to two successive elections 80 per cent of the members of parliament lost their
seats. Almost all experienced spokesmen in the field of foreign policy and defense lost
their seats. Within parliament there was hardly any knowledge left, so that a political and
consequently public debate about the Netherlands’s foreign policy orientation and how
defense might fit in, virtually came to a standstill. This was reinforced by the preoccupation
of politicians to solve internal problems which caused the crisis and explains why the
second Balkenende Cabinet decided upon the biggest cuts in the defense budget ever.
The Iraq crisis
The Iraq crisis fell in the midst of this turbulent period in Dutch history. Actually,
during the crisis the country was run by the outgoing Cabinet which lacked the power to
make firm policy decisions. As a result, the government was unwilling, probably politically
incapable to co-sign the letter of the “gang of eight”. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria
Aznar took the initiative for a pro-America initiative to back its Iraq policy, which
resulted in the publication of an open letter on 30 January. Actually, the letter was drafted
in close cooperation with his British colleague Tony Blair and co-signed by the governments
of Italy, Poland, Denmark, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The letter was a
direct retaliation for the anti-war positions adopted by France and Germany. Instead of
signing the letter, the Cabinet tried to find domestic compromise on Iraq. Coalition
negotiations were lingering on and the social democrats of the PvdA were still considered
a plausible candidate for a new government. The PvdA was opposed to an intervention,
while the CDA, together with the right-wing liberals of the VVD supported the U.S. As
a result, the Government issued a statement arguing that it would support a war
politically, but not militarily. This uneasy compromise led to a bitter debate. Both
proponents and opponents of the war argued that this was a typical Dutch compromise,
with little actual meaning. Moreover, the Cabinet had to take public opinion into account,
which was vehemently opposed to war. Indeed, public had grown very critical of U.S.
global leadership. A majority of 61 percent disapproved the way President Bush handled
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international policy; only 9 percent was in favor of the U.S. remaining the only superpower.
Instead, 65 percent favored a superpower role of the EU.10 Thus there was a clear
discrepancy between the Cabinet and the people.
The declaration that the Netherlands would support the war politically, but not
militarily turned out to be a brilliant move which helped clear the way for Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer becoming NATO’s new Secretary General. The Iraq crisis led to deep divisions
within Europe. Spain, Italy and most East Europeans supported the United States and the
United Kingdom, while a German-French alliance opposed the policies of President Bush
and Prime Minister Blair. Due to its unofficial status, the government could not take a
position, in what appeared to be one of the deepest crisis of transatlantic relations,
undermined NATO and stalled the process of European security and defense integration.
Belgium, France, Germany and Luxemburg sparked an unprecedented crisis at NATO
just before the war in March by blocking help for NATO partner Turkey. The crisis was
further deepened on 29 April 2003 when the heads of Cabinet and government of France,
Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg gathered for a summit in Brussels in an attempt to
form a defense core group.11 It was argued that American unilateralism demonstrated that
the European Union had no other choice but to develop a credible foreign, security and
defense policy. The Union had to be able to speak with one voice and should fully play
its role in the international scene. This would require a credible security and defense
policy. They continued to argue that although the transatlantic relationship remaind a
strategic priority for Europe a genuine partnership between the EU and NATO was a
prerequisite for a more equal partnership between Europe and America. Consequently, a
European Security and Defense Union was proposed. States taking part in this union
would commit themselves to mutual help and assistance when confronted with risks,
systematically harmonize their policies, coordinate their defense efforts and jointly
develop or pool military capabilities. The summit also proposed the development of a
European rapid reaction force, which builds on the so called Helsinki Headline Goal, and
the creation of a capability for operational planning and conducting operations within the
EU.
The Cabinet was quite unhappy with these discussions but, due to its outgoing status,
it was unable to take sides. It was decided not to join the Franco-German mini-summit;
10 German Marshall Fund of the United States, Transatlantic Trends 2003.
11 Declaration of the Heads of State and Government of Germany, France, Luxembourg and Belgium on
European Defence, Brussels, 29 April 2003.
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instead the government expressed its worry that this would undermine NATO. However,
given its traditional preoccupation with NATO as the corner stone of its foreign policy it
was quite unlikely that the Cabinet would have supported the idea of a France-German
summit if it were not outgoing. Indeed, in September 2003 Belgium’s Prime Minister Guy
Verhofstandt announced that he would go ahead with plans to build a European military
command headquarters near Brussels next year despite opposition from the United
Kingdom and the United States. The headquarters, according to Verhofstadt, was needed
to execute European operations autonomously. Again the new, now functioning Cabinet,
was reluctant to support this move.
Dealing with ESDP: a minimalist approach
Traditional Atlanticism explains Dutch ambivalence towards Europe’s security and
defense integration. Traditionally the Netherlands considers the EU as the prime vehicle
for economic integration, but is reluctant to actively support the EU’s security and
defense integration as this may undermine transatlantic relations. Nevertheless, the
Dutch were frequently unhappy with some aspects of NATO, most notably
decision-making. For example, during operation Allied Force, NATO’s much-praised
political consultation mechanism turned out to function unsatisfactory. Compared to its
role as a military organization, NATO played no role of importance as a political
organization. This led to considerable uneasiness among a number of allies, including the
Netherlands. In an after action report the Dutch government complained about its limited
access to NATO’s decision-making machinery during the air campaign.12 Although
multilateral consultation was not entirely absent during the crisis, it took place especially
in small and sometimes informal forums. Harmonization of policies took place in the
Contact Group for Former Yugoslavia, the Quint (the five NATO members of the Contact
Group) and the G-8 (the seven largest industrial nations and Russia). Apparently these
were discussion clubs with honeyed decision-making processes, which were not
crisis-resistant. The result was that institutions, which had been established for the
prevention of conflicts and the management of crises, have actually become organizations
that carried out the decisions of informal directorates. In practice the United States was
in control. Consequently, many countries, particularly smaller ones like the Netherlands
12 (Kosovo After action Report) Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Kosovo-evaluatie, (The Hague, 22
March 2000).
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were left out. In some European capitals, including The Hague, this led to the conclusion
that decision-making should be less dependent on Washington and that Europe’s
decision-making machinery concerning security matters should be improved.
Defense polities
Aversion to military power explains why a debate on defense policies has generally
been lacking in the Netherlands. Over the last 13 years the Netherlands armed forces were
faced with never ending budget cuts and very few cared. Dutch politicians tend to use the
argument that for a ‘small’ country a big armed force is a waste of money. The ‘smallness’
of the Netherlands is an enduring psychological problem for Dutch policy makers.
Apparently, for Dutch policy makers territory plays a bigger role that economics, in
defining whether the country is big or small. However, due to the absence of a political
and hence public debate about defense, the defense establishment could restructure the
armed forces according to their own wishes. Due to intelligent spending of the limited
defense budget and early decisions to transform its armed forces, the Netherlands
managed to rank substantially higher than one would have expected. Despite the lack of
orientation, military performance undoubtedly contributed to the effectiveness of foreign
policy as a whole. Within NATO, the Netherlands still belongs to the most important
troop contributors. As a matter of fact, due to the quality and diversity of its armed forces
the Netherlands are in a position to provide the benchmark for most of the smaller NATO
members. The Netherlands has sea, land and air forces and a broad range of force
elements, sufficient to make a meaningful contribution to a wide variety of operations. As
UNMEE, the peacekeeping mission in the border region of Ethiopia and Eritrea, has
demonstrated, the Netherlands could also provide the framework for peacekeeping
operations.
Restructuring began with the 1993 White Paper. 13 Until then, its force posture was
focused on the defense of the NATO territory. On the one hand it was concluded that
a strategic attack on NATO territory was unlikely. On the other it was concluded that
the world had not become a safer place. New risks had emerged. The Balkans and the
Gulf regions had become permanent sources of unrest. The danger of proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery was real, and international
13 (Defence White Paper) Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Prioriteitennota: een andere wereld, een
andere defensie, (The Hague, January 1993)
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Seeking the Right Balance: NATO and EU in Dutch Foreign and Defense Policy
terrorism and international crime were considered a growing threat. The conclusion
was that these risks, together with the scarcity of natural resources, threats to trade
routes, the very fact that economic prosperity depends on global stability, and the
desire to relieve human suffering would require a wide toolbox of military capabilities
to deal with a variety of challenges. Thus, together with a decrease of the defense
budget, a reorientation of the task, role and mission of the armed forces took place.
It was decided to leave the existing structure with naval, land and air forces intact
and that restructuring would focus on expeditionary warfare or power projection.
Due to the political ambition to make a contribution to combat operations, as well as
stability and reconstruction missions a wide toolbox was developed. This toolbox
contained a broad range of assets which would provide politicians flexibility through
a wide range of options. Consequentially, an all volunteer armed force was deemed
necessary; because political practice prevented the use of conscripts for combat
missions abroad. Moreover, it was decided to procure strategic lift and to put more
emphasis on logistics and combat support. A dramatic downsizing of almost 50
percent in terms of manpower freed the funds necessary for the restructuring of the
Dutch armed forces.
During the 1990s, due to new missions, ongoing restructuring and an ever decreasing
defense budget, the toolbox became both wider and shallower. After 2000, new budget
cuts, increased operating costs due to ongoing peacekeeping operations, the increased
complexity of missions, enhanced readiness and sustainability requirements, and the
costs of modernization and transformation presented new challenges. In 2003 Minister of
Defense Henk Kamp sent a letter to Parliament with new measures.14 This Restructuring
Plan was followed by an update in 2005.15
Kamp was the first minister who explicitly mentioned the word ‘expeditionary’.
His ambition was to play a role in the ‘premier league’. This was expressed by the desire
to procure of cruise missiles for the air defence frigates to contribute to early entry
operations. Kamp contributed to the stabilization mission in Iraq. He sent commandos for
high risk operations to the south of Afghanistan to prepare for the deployment of ISAF
III. But again the minister was confronted with budgetary problems. A 5 per cent budget
cut in 2003 required a reduction in the size of some force elements of 20 to 30 percent.
This brought some elements under a critical mass, both in terms of commitments and
14 (letter to Parliament) Minister of Defence, Prinsjesdagbrief 2003, 16 September 2003.
15 (letter to Parliament) Minister of Defence, Actualisering van de Prinsjesdagbrief 2003, 2 June 2005.
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economies of scale. Some frigates and mine hunters, all Maritime Patrol Aircraft, all Army
reserve units, the Army’s Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), and a number of
artillery pieces and F-16s were abolished to free money for expeditionary capabilities
such as Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MALE), extra
Chinook transport helicopters and Hercules transport air craft. Thus, the 2004 Defense
Budget Statement sought a new balance between the tasks of the armed forces and the
budget, in order to create affordable armed forces and the necessary funding for
investments. Nevertheless, some capabilities became dangerously close to a critical mass.
The number of frigates was reduced from 14 to 10. As a consequence contributions to
peacekeeping operations with frigates were only possible when units were withdrawn
from standing commitments, i.e. the Standing Naval Forces of NATO or national obligations
in the Antilles. Thus, in terms of commitments this force element fell below the critical
mass. Furthermore, the reduced number of aircraft would still require the same
infrastructure, logistical base and training facilities, and could fall below a critical mass
in terms of economies of scale. While force modernization was still possible, it was not
certain that the funding for transformation was sufficient. Transformation required the
government to spend 30 percent of the budget on procurement and research and
development. Unfortunately, only 20 to 25 percent was spent on these activities. Despite
Kamp’s high ambitions, there was still a clear risk that the Netherlands would be unable
to fulfil its ambition.
Despite a higher defence budget, this happened in 2007. The budget increase was
insufficient to cover ever increasing costs. Deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan
required replacement of assets sooner than envisioned. In addition, special equipment
was procured. For example, Australian Bushmasters costing one million euros each,
were needed to protect troops against Improvised Explosive Devises. Thus, Kamp’s
successor, Eimert van Middelkoop, had no other choice but to take drastic measures.16
Again, the armed forces were confronted with cuts, including reductions in the number
of tanks, artillery pieces and F-16s. Some of Kamp’s projects were terminated such as
MALE and the cruise missiles. The latter made clear that the new government had less
far reaching ambitions. Indeed, the coalition of Christian democrats (CDA),
social-democrats (PvdA) and a small Christian party (Christen Unie) put more emphasis
on peace support operations and were reluctant to get involved in high risk early entry
operations. Demanding additional cuts in the number of major weapons systems, a
16 (letter to Parliament) Minister of Defence, Het defensiebeleid of hoofdlijnen, 2 July 2007.
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Seeking the Right Balance: NATO and EU in Dutch Foreign and Defense Policy
report by the PvdA confirmed this trend in 2007.17 This was very much in line with the
tradition of the Netherlands.
The future
Dutch foreign policy has similar characteristics of other highly developed, rich,
medium powers, including Canada and some of the Scandinavian countries. As a foreign
policy instrument, the offensive use of its armed forces is not the first choice; instead,
emphasis is given to strengthening the international rule of law and multinational
organizations to create stable and peaceful international relations. A large contribution to
peacekeeping fits into this approach. What really distinguishes the Netherlands is its
focus on transatlantic relations to keep its independence from the major continental
powers.
On the one hand there remains a need to continue traditional Dutch balance of power
politics by focusing on transatlantic relations and NATO. On the other hand, the world
has changed dramatically during the 1990s, making the transatlantic partnership less
capable of fulfilling Dutch policy goals. The nature and quality of transatlantic relations,
which is embodied in NATO will largely depend on the U.S. After the end of the Cold
War the U.S., however, no longer sees NATO as the cornerstone of its foreign and security
policy. This urges a refocus of Dutch foreign policy. For more than ten years, Dutch
politicians are struggling with this problem. Due to the internal political crisis of 2002, the
replacement of old politicians by new ones as a result of two successive elections and
major changes in the political landscape, a public debate about foreign policy orientations
is lacking. This is reinforced by the increased inward-lookingness of Dutch politics. There
is an almost exclusive focus on domestic problems. Foreign policy is once again dominated
by the ministry of foreign affairs, which has a very traditional orientation, i.e. a transatlantic,
pro-NATO orientation and ambivalence towards the development of effective European
foreign, security and defense policies.
Nevertheless, most Dutch foreign policy experts agree that the Netherlands has no
other option but to strike a better balance between NATO and ESDP. Due to the strategic
reorientation of the U.S., the ESDP will become more important. Those experts also agree
that only through the ESDP European military capabilities could be strengthened.
17 (Defence plan) PvdA, In dienst van Nederland, In Dienst van de Wereld, 3 November 2007.
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Europe’s military problem is fragmentation, i.e. countries with independent defense
bureaucracies, trying to sustain a broad toolbox of military assets. This, however, turns
out to be unaffordable. The solution is innovative new ideas such as the development of
more focused toolboxes or a smaller diversity of military capabilities, the development of
niche capabilities and more emphasis on multinational units. This, however, can only be
achieved, in a supra national context which can only be provided by the EU. This requires
the EU to step up its affords to create genuine European defenses.
Regarding national defense, the case of the Netherlands shows that the broad toolbox
approach will become unaffordable if the Government does not spend more on defense.
The lesson learned is that due to downscaling, force elements could fall below a critical
mass so that they have to be abolished altogether. In order to keep selected force elements
above that critical mass and free funding for transformation, the choice is a focused tool
box or niche capabilities. This not only requires a political decision on national ambitions
but better international cooperation as well. Indeed, to be able to make a meaningful
contribution the focused toolbox or niche capabilities must be brought into balance with
the efforts of others.
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